The Days of Lore

Record Store Daze

Friday, April 15th, 2011 | musiX, pdX | No Comments

Record Store Day. The name alone is enough to get music nerds, geeks, audiophiles, crate diggers, what have you, all hot and bothered. When I first wrote about RSD back in its first year (what feels like many, many, many moons ago), I thought, “All right, a day to show appreciation for the independent record store—a dying institution, the hub where people like you and me go to escape and spend hour(s) getting lost in the racks, meet other sick like-minded individuals and connect over that new Matthew Sweet release, or that old Saints record.” No, really. That was my actual thought at that very moment.

Now in its fourth year, Record Store Day looks a little different. It’s still a well-intentioned “holiday” that gives some love to those remaining independent stores that offer many people a place to escape from this mad, evil world we live in. But—there’s always a but—the emphasis seems to have gone from, “Hey, go to your local record store and enjoy what they have to offer” to “CHECK OUT THE LIST OF EXCLUSIVE RELEASES FROM SO-AND-SO, and “LOOK AT THESE 78 RPMS FROM SUCH-AND-SUCH!” People are even getting all Black Friday about it, ready to get in line early for said releases. Then you have some stores fucking it up by slinging these limited editions on eBay (to RSD’s credit, they are putting those stores on public notice, for what it’s worth). I don’t get it.

I say to hell with all that. Treat Record Store Day (Saturday, April 16) like you would any other day. Or, better yet, treat any other day like Record Store Day. Go in. Nerd out. Spend some time (time = money) at those great shops that may not be a “participating store” with all of those exclusive goodies (99 Cent Records, Exiled and Green Noise immediately come to mind here in Portlandia). Besides, who really needs a limited edition copy of Rumours on 180-gram double 45 RPM anyway? Don’t answer that.

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Tags: 99 Cent Records, Exiled Records, Green Noise Records, Record Store Day, Record Store Day 2011

Record Store Day is groovy

Saturday, April 18th, 2009 | musiX, pdX | No Comments

Record/music stores are disappearing faster than … hmm … than a plate of donuts in front of a fat kid’s face? Sorry. But there is hope … for record stores, not for my lack of couth … or child obesity in America.

Record Store Day was first observed in 2007 as a way to celebrate the holiest of places for white males ages 25 to 50. Six months ago I moved from a town that was down to its last record store, not counting the one that had a horrible selection of over-priced CDs and sold more dildos and bongs than it did actual music. But Portland—being the mega-hot indie rock mecca of planet Earth—has several fine establishments where one can peruse for hours on end while the rest of the world passes by and your girlfriend finally comes to terms to the fact that you have a problem. I’ve come home.

So. Take your pick. There will be tons of special releases from a laundry list of bands like [inhale] The Thermals, The Decemberists, Blitzen Trapper, Flaming Lips, Elvis Costello, Pavement, Slayer, Queen (!), Bob Dylan, Jesus Lizard, Obits and much, much more [exhale]. More info on releases and participating stores can be found here.

There will also be loads of live performances and special events here in Portland including Langhorne Slim (1 p.m. at Jackpot Records on Hawthorne), and Loch Lomond and Shaky Hands at the downtown location starting at 2 p.m. Queensrÿche (yes, that Queensrÿche) will sign copies of their new record at Music Millennium at noon. And Green Noise Records will be giving away some goodies from its sister label Dirtnap. Oh, and make sure Exiled Records is on your list of stops today. All of this, of course, leads up to the big Night Owl Record Show—a Portland tradition since 2003—where vinyl junkies come together and do what they do ($2; 5-9 p.m).

In honor of Record Store Day I give you a song from the very first 45 rpm I owned that wasn’t associated with Batman or Star Wars (promise, no more KISS-related posts for at least a few months). Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get into some mischief.

“See You In Your Dreams” - Gene Simmons (1978 solo album)

Tags: Green Noise Records, Jackpot Records, Langhorne Slim, Loch Lomond, Music Millennium, Night Owl Record Show, Queensrÿche, Record Store Day, Shaky Hands

Trail of Dead unveils ‘Isis Unveiled’

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

Record Store Day isn’t until April 18, but Austin’s …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead is already celebrating. The band is offering a free download of “Isis Unveiled” from the forthcoming The Century of Self, which will hit shelves (and more-likely, hard drives) on Feb. 17 (stream the full album at Spinner.com).

The song is still available here, but only until midnight (EST) for a limited time … so, git a move on! “Isis Unveiled” isn’t quite as grandiose as some of the songs from Trail of Dead’s previous two efforts—2005’s brilliant Worlds Apart and 2006’s underrated So Divided—but I could see this one leading to some onstage instrument splintering as the band has been known to do. It’s all about the song’s centerpiece, a chilling shouted chorus that gradually disintegrates into a dead silence before returning to the main riff. Hits me where it hurts so good.

I’m actually relieved. I recently heard “Ascending”—also from Century—and wasn’t too thrilled. Guitarist/vocalist Conrad Keely, who moved to New York a couple of years ago, told Billboard that he’s been influenced by the likes of Yeasayer and Dirty Projectors, and that the band recorded everything live. That, on the other hand, does thrill me.

“Isis Unveiled” - …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead

Tags: ...And You Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Conrad Keely, Record Store Day, The Century of Self